Saturday, 30 June 2012

Scott Kelby is the world's most successful author of all things photoshop, Joe McNally is a photographer based in NY highly acclaimed and with a large following.

I posted yesterday about Scott Kelby and photoshopusertv, well here is Scott Kelby talking with photographer Joe McNally

Joe and I were in Venice Italy a few years back, he is an absolute master of small light shooting.

Joe's Bio
Joe McNally is an internationally acclaimed photographer who's career has spanned 30 years and included assignments in 50 countries. He has shot cover stories for TIME, Newsweek, Fortune, New York, Entertainment weekly, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and Men's Journal. He has been at various times in his career a contract photographer at LIFE and, currently, an ongoing 23 year contributor to the National Geographic, shooting numerous cover stories for those publications.

In this video Scott and Joe talk about portrait critique.

If you wish to buy a friend or loved one a book to inspire about photography, Joe's book "The moment it clicks" is the perfect gift, not only an easy read, this book gives an insight to how he approached taking pictures in the book, the story.

Joe was in the process of writing this book while we were in Venice.

What Joe does mention is prep and research, I covered this in my dance video blog 2, some points will keep coming up over and over.

Friday, 29 June 2012

Photoshop training is one of the first areas I would recommend a new photographer spend some time to understand, building it into your workflow.

Granted other software is available but this is the industry standard and with other software eventually you will hit a wall, that only Photoshop can get you past.

Photoshopusertv really is the place to go for those wishing to learn How to use the latest version of Photoshop.

Headed by the worlds top and best selling author Scott Kelby, together with a great team of knowledgeable co-hosts the weekly video blogs are essential for those wanting to keep up to date, or get off the start line.

The weekly videos are not the end of it, subscribe and you have a heap of resources, back episodes with regular magazines to keep you on track.

This is the place I always recommended to the new photographers who came to work with me.

Have
you ever tried to buy a Camembert cheese in Swainsboro, Georgia? Have
you ever attempted to purchase a bottle of “Cristal” champagne in
Binghamton, New York? Have you ever tried to find a Christian Dior
“Haute Couture” dress for a photo-shoot in Farmington, Indiana? There is
no secret why Hollywood is Hollywood, New York is New York, Paris is
Paris and London is London. Availability of talent, support, materials
and creative grey matter. If I am about to embark on a photo shoot here
in Paris, I can call a top model agency for a top model. Call a world
class fashion stylist to see the press offices of the top designers to
get the “crème de la crème” of the fashion world. Call the leading hair
and make-up artist agency to get the most world renowned artists in
their field. Hire a world class studio facility to be published in some
of the most cutting edge trendy press.

The Proximity Factor

Why?
Because New York & Paris feature all of the elements required not
to smell of a “Lack of Proximity” provincial product. The reason the
fashion photographers working in the major centers look so polished is
that they are. Without those elements, there is no way that one can
compete on this playing field. Of course there are different leagues
where the game is played. I started this game in Toronto where the best
one could do was to be published in Flare, Fashion and Chatelaine
magazines. After that, if you wish to climb this ladder, one has to make
a move. I moved to Los Angeles, which was a very minor step up the
ladder. I have lived in New York, Milan and Paris and have worked in
London.

Your best bet, would be to
study the playing field and emulate, emulate, copy, copy and copy. Until
you are in the right place, everything that will be done will smack of
the fact that the tools were not available. Time is so important. The
collections come out, we shoot them right after the shows in studio or
location. But we get them right away and not one year after the fact.
This speaks loudly in its own right. Start doing your research. Type in
to Google, “Trendy Press Magazines” or “Fashion Magazines” and see what
comes up. Type in “Fashion Trends” as well. These resources will give
you a broad overview of what is being published in the different sectors
of fashion, beauty and adverting. Enjoy the experience. You may end up
being the next Richard Avedon.

So that's the post, the best people are in the hotspots, if you are growing and wish to accelerate and get the look right now then I suggest at least moving in those hotspots. It will rub off on you, take my word for that.

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Photographing new models for personal or agency profiles is one of the areas most fashion photographers have done at some point in their careers.

New models heavily rely on input or
sometimes the complete lack of it.

In my video blog 2 How to photograph dancers this is covered to a degree.

A few years ago I noticed the client relaxed more when I asked the Make-Up Artist (MUA) to check over the detail, this was used to my advantage, asking the MUA at my prompt to just go over the client and generally fuss a bit.

We made some great frames, the moments just after the "tampering" the expressions were natural. These moments are honest and in my opinion
capture the true essence of the moment.

My
philosophy is “Less is More” and thus, I generally give
the models Carte Blanche to freestyle. Of course if they are totally ridged,
that is where I attempt to guide them, not by strict posses, but by
attempting to introduce an emotion in them that can hopefully be captured by me in a good frame.

Always agree a briefing before the shoot and let things go where they may, as long as they fulfill the original objective.

We’ve just seen some research
that forecasts that Global commercial photography is expected to be
worth almost $11 billion by 2015, (Source: Global Industry Analysts) and
this figure is driven by the fragmented markets of advertising, digital
photography and social networking. The suggestion is that the
commercial photography industry will continue to grow as more and more
companies turn to the industry to promote their businesses.

With the migration of business into social media, previously
consumer-only environments, businesses themselves face increasingly
fragmented marketing strategies and, more importantly for photographers,
they face the challenge of creating new content for channels that
demand high levels of new material to make them work by driving traffic
and customers to their own websites and social media channels.

This surely creates a powerful reason for commercial photographers to
embrace social media channels – to understand how images and other
content work in these areas you first need to understand the channels –
by being active within them. Businesses in the very near future will be
keen to commission suppliers who are active in, and therefore understand
the channels – how can someone who has no working knowledge of social
media produce suitable images for it?

Clients who are
commissioning images, will increasingly look for suppliers via these
channels. They’ll judge a photographer, not just on the quality of their
work, but also at how well they themselves utilise these channels for
their own marketing purposes. The next generation of commercial
photographers (and never forget the amateurs) will emerge into the scene
with an instinctive knowledge of these channels, as they’ve grown up
with them as the norm. The people who may possibly struggle, will be the
30 somethings, who have gained their experience from a totally
different set of marketing channels, and who have to work harder to get
that instinctive feel for the new ways of marketing.

There will be real opportunities for
the forward thinking, future facing photographers, who can work with a
client adding value to the relationship from a position of knowledge, by
advising which types of photographic approaches and budget levels are
suitable for which channel, providing images and content which is
sensitive to the clients marketing approach.

Friday, 22 June 2012

My Canon 24mm - 70mm L series F/2.8 is more often than not my go to lens.

I work with video using the Canon 5d series, so for me the files need to be as clean as possible at capture.

This lens fits general studio shooting and video work perfectly offering wide angle and F/2.8 all the way.

My style of working is generally close, preferring closer as it feels more intimate, working with a 70 - 200 is an alternative, however this has caused me a few problems when wanting to work the angles quickly, the 70 - 200L is for me is a second body option.

Getting back to the 24-70 it has recently been updated and the price for the latest version is around £ 2,299 GBP, yikes.

The world's Elite Supermodels, Top 3 right now as defined by models.com

The VIP club: those working "icons" of the moment - defined as
celebrity models with public recognition, established longevity and a
major magazine cover within the last 3 years.
These stars can always be counted on to capture more than their fair share of covers and campaigns.

Of course, as is a celebrity model's prerogative, these "brand
name" girls don't peddle the NY/London/Milan/Paris runway treadmill full
time, or run from magazine shoot to magazine shoot, leaving that arena
wide open to the new generation.

She has been a model with one of the most impeccable booking records of
recent times with every single campaign being as prominent and as blue
chip as they come (Prada, Prada fragrance, Gucci, Chanel, YSL, Missoni,
Vuitton). Add to that major covers and a near monthly Only Girl rotation
in US Vogue and Vogue Paris at her height and then the grand ring of a
Lancome contract. Flawless!

No model working, right this second commands more covers and campaigns
than the iconic Miss Moss. The girl who once memorably opined "Never
complain. Never explain." has certainly gotten the last word.

It'll be a long time before any other model will nab anything like the
$25 million dollar Victoria's Secret mega-contract that put Ms Bundchen
on the map five years ago. Though she has since then moved on from the
brand Gisele still looms as the highest earning model on the planet and
remains one of the only two models who actually can move mags on the
newsstands.

The relationship between the latest top model, the established elite supermodel and high earnings can be seen in a vogue post I featured recently.

The key to a long career at the top is maintaining high profile exposure and year on year contracts with exclusive brands.

Thursday, 21 June 2012

I
am going to make time to be available to answer your questions as best I can regarding the business of photography, techniques, lighting, approach to all aspects of this fiercely competitive business.

Feel free to send me your questions. I’ll get to them as soon as I can offering my thoughts.

A long term must book for Chloe, former OTM
notable Anja had a monster FW05 season in Paris and is still being
lensed fitfully by Inez and Vinoodh while appearing religiously in
Vogue/Bazaar. She rocks!

Natasha bolted away from the FW 04 pack as the girl
of that season with the continued support of French Vogue. Now as the
multi-product face of Gucci, she's finally evolved into that lucrative
must-book she was always meant to be.

New York:IMGLondon:IMG LondonParis:IMG ParisMilan:IMG MilanoSydney:Priscilla's Model ManagementAnd they said it would never happen in our
lifetime... namely a model who is a cultural sensation...But Ms. Stone
is that rare model who sells not only campaign product but moves covers
(see Interview, Love, W, Vogue Paris) inspires designers (see Marc
Jacobs for Vuitton SS 10) and confirms that a compelling personality
makes fashion all that more vivid and dynamic.

So... the top three is held by five.

For people new to the industry the reason this article is posted in this way is not only to show the rankings but also who is connected with who.

Each agency is like a family, so one's success is also another's.

Every one has their part to play, including the photographer in developing and being successful.

The Brazilian beauty, who is one of seven
Victoria Secret Angels to make the list of 10, has reportedly
made earnings of $45 million (£28.9 million) in the past 12 months
- thanks to lucrative endorsement deals with Espirit, Pantene,
Versace, as well as her Ipanema flip-flop line.

Following Gisele's lead is

2) Kate Moss with earnings of $9.2 million (£5.91 million), then
3) Natalia Vodianova in third place with $8.6 million (£5.5
million),

4) Adriana
Lima at number four with $7.3 million (£4.6 million),
5) Doutzen Kroes at
five with $6.9 million (£4.4 million).

Photographers gear, buy what you need. There is so much you can choose from, choosing what you need is not an easy decision, spend wisely.

Choosing the wrong equipment for sure will cost you again further down the line, nothing good is cheap in this game

Buy what you need, if you are unsure try RENTAL first.

In the UK and USA Calumet provide an excellent rental services, at the time of posting they will deduct the rental if you then decide to buy that item after the rental. Check this out.

A summary of the equipment you will likely need.

Body and Lens buy the best you can afford, the lens is critical I would always recommend the L or pro series lens. Avoid cheap glass, you really need the best lens as they will likely stay with you from body to body.

If you need external flash get it off camera, I have a bracket like the press use.

Grey card, get into using a custom white balance to help create natural tones,

Reflectors, silver/ white and gold/ white, bigger the better.

Printer, the Epson R3000 is very good to A3+ You need to proof your work, choose a suitable print profile in your workflow.

Screen calibration, either do this manually with the help of a test file and print from someone like peak-imaging or with a calibration device. Some screens display slightly blue caution adjusting for the screen, print a sample.

Software, I work between Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop CS5, industry standard.

Print paper, I use the Calumet Brillant Lustre paper (10x15) for most test printing.

This list is for general photography, as you get deeper into your given area you will need other equipment, master this group and your on track.

Experience will bring you the best results so don't get bogged down in the gear side, keep it simple to start with, enjoy more.

Good luck.

www.calumetphoto.co.uk Manchester number +44(0) 161 274 0500 the store is worth a visit, else give them a call, very friendly and experienced.

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Portrait of actress Halle Berry chosen as Picture of the Year by People Magazine, photo Jerry Avenaim web www.avenaim.com

From simple image syndication, to editorial and advertising, it’s important to review in detail the scope of photo usage permissions as stated in any contract. Last year, American Greetings used my cover photograph of Halle Berry as a greeting card without permission.

While my attorney battles with my syndication agency for the rights to the case (yes, my syndication agency has the right to sue before I do) that’s another story. Be very careful what you sign, and don’t sign anything before you’ve read it in its entirety. Indeed, a photographer friend of mine was shooting a celebrity portrait just last week. During the photo shoot, he was presented a contract that attempted to grab all the rights and ownership of the images. My friend caught the offending paragraph, let the talent’s manager know that that’s a nonstarter, and struck it from the contract. Had they been inflexible on that one point, the shoot would have ended right then. So if necessary, never hesitate to have your own legal council review any contract presented to you.

Remember I said my issue with American Greetings took place exactly this time last year? Well guess what? I was notified by a friend that my image is out on every rack of every CVS and Wal-Mart at this very moment as part of the card company’s line celebrating Black History month. This is a blatant infringement of my intellectual property. One which could have been caused by any series of events ranging from Ebony to American Greetings. And adding insult to injury, they credited another photographer my image! This case (if handled properly) could result in some serious damages.

Halle card on display at Walmart photographed by who?

It has been a long time coming that all these terms be described and explained. I’ve been asked these questions over the years, and they were always situation specific. Recently Rob Haggert the author of aphotoeditor.com put the terminology together in one fantastic article.

BASIC INFORMATION

“With the current US copyright laws as they are applied now, artists own all rights to their created images and sell/transfer rights to agencies and their clients. All questionable negotiations have historically defaulted in favor of the artist. Technically, even minor modification of the art requires the artists’ permission. You are RENTING, not buying an image unless explicitly stated on the contract.

Generally, think of usage costs reflecting the amount of exposure a particular image may receive. The more exposure, the higher the price. Exact terminology may differ, but the semantics remain the same if all of the information is included in each negotiation. You can phrase it any way you want, but be clear about the INTENT by including information from all categories outline below. Talent usage is similar, but there are differences in how each medium is priced out: talent usage tends to be much more specific. Again, it is based on exposure. European terminology will differ from US terminology, particularly in the “Print” category. In Europe, “Print” includes anything that is not broadcast.”

If you want to learn more about billing language and the business of photography, check out his article! Click here to read on.

Has this happened to me? you bet it has, a national expo thought it was a great idea to use images taken from my site as publicity for that designer who was attending without any payment or consent to use, the exact version they used was only available as a grab off my site.

Similar to Jerry's story it was a friend hundreds of miles away contacted me giving me the heads up.

Every time I hit send or receive I am thinking what trash or useless email will come in this time.

The truth is very few inquiries come to me via email as the first link.

For me I prefer to make initial contact either face to face or by a phone call to establish who I need to be speaking with, to establish the decision maker.

When I was recruiting new positions as the head photographer for a large studio CV's that came in by email never inspired me as much as the tenacity and determination of those who dropped in, with their CV.

From experience these individuals always seemed to have more about them.

Now I am not saying this works for everyone but for me I was like come in, if you have made the effort I will too.

The written can be misunderstood where as like video a conversation is less ridged, you can often work out exactly what the client may want better.

Supermodels.nl is a site I refer as one of my go to sites.You will find up to date work from today's relevant models and photographers.A great site for fans of supermodels and industry professionals alike.Photographed by Mario Sorrenti
Scanned by glossyn - Vogue Paris April 2012

In a world that goes so fast, working so hard.. sometimes just to stand still, this selection of images seem frozen in time.

He was the face of Jil Sander
for several seasons which means his epicene features became instantly
recognizable in every men's magazine on the market. With multiple
seasons of Jil Sander, followed by Cavalli and Prada, Clement's
distinctive profile makes his mark on the industry.

This pre-Raphaelite beauty exudes an innocence and
romantic beauty unlike any other model out there. We love that the
former MOTW keeps his curls intact. Season after season, his impeccable
showings in the campaign/editorial/runway madness reflect what an
incredible life force this young man exudes. Important to remain
inimitable, no?

The great ones stay constant and coveted in the eyes
of fashion's key clients. The truth of that is the enviable career that
Sean Opry has chalked up. Like every prior No 1 Sean has consistently
kept brands such as Versace, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss
and Armani in his booking camp. More importantly he looms as one of the
great memorable presences in men's modeling. Here's to a definitive
long distance runner.

If you want to see who is linked to who, the looks, trends etc etc this is a site I would recommend.

Sunday, 10 June 2012

I
find it interesting how the title of ones function in my metier has
evolved since I began this profession in the early 80′s. A Fashion
Photographer was generally hired to capture images of men, woman and
children adorned in this seasons most or least captivating clothing,
that would be paraded in your local newspapers, catalogues or
magazines. Sometimes if you were really on a roll your images would be
glorified on a poster or billboard. This reality was the status quo for
quite some time until the www. the world wide web entered the fold of
important media to be considered in ones advertising marketing plan.

It
was akin to the wild west and up until recently was still quite chaotic
to say the least. In fact, as we all know things are still in flux and
will in my opinion remain so ad infinitum. But that isn’t really the
point here.

Diversity

We
still thought that the status quo remained and we just needed to
capture the images to be used in the above medium. In fact a lot of
more traditional Art Directors still think that is what we do. Some
very strange things started happening and the snowball effect become
pretty evident. Other people in the business started to take on other
functions that would be normally considered inaccessible or tabu to
consider. Magazines were under pressure to bend to the whims of those
wishing to take on those functions with little or no resistance from the
Art Directors (considering their reduced importance in the metier since
the late 90′s) or the Editors, as those designers were spending a
fortune in advertising in their magazines and accepted their new
multifunctional attributes with open arms. The new paradigm began. The
designer slash photographer slash creative director slash…was born. Now
that really isn’t the point here neither, as I believe in diversity and
in the fact that being creative is being creative no matter what the
tool used to express yourself with.

The
“BIG SHAKE UP” was en route and there was nothing that was going to
stop it. Actresses became Top Models and Top Models became Actor
Celebrities and Editors. Creative Directors became Stars and the
Marketing PR companies adapted by producing and churning out new Human
Product by the Dozens Daily! It didn’t really matter what you achieved
or how capable you were, as that capacity or quality of output was left
to the technicians to make happen based on the story board being created
for the masses to assimilate, digest and to later regurgitate.

Blurred Lines

The
mix was becoming more and more complex and the lines defining ones
profession were becoming more and more blurred until we couldn’t really
say for certain that what one did was really what they did or was it
just facade. But then again that isn’t really the issue here as that IS
the reality, so get over it.

As a
caveat, and in my classic form, I am meandering, because I am writing
this quite spontaneously as usual and will do my best to get back to
what I think the point of this is. Oh yeah, “The New Order”. Well the
New Order is not really a good title as it really isn’t very orderly at
all. It is rathe chaotic to say the least. But there is something very
comforting in that chaos and that is, that diversity and thinking on
ones feet and quickly either adapting to change or being responsible for
those changes is more or less the order of the day.

Functional Overlap

I
am seeing so many blurred undefined or defined yet unbelievable multi
faceted beings out there, that if I did need to task someone with a job,
I honestly wouldn’t know which part of their definition I could
confidently employ. Expertise is becoming a more and more rare breed in
our not so well defined metier.

So,
when I see that photographer slash creative director slash magazine
owner slash blogger slash videographer slash retoucher slash celebrity
slash sex icon slash advertising agency owner and even clothing designer
on their resume I am no longer as surprised and gob struck as I was
when THAT reality hit me smack in the face. By the way you can mix and
match any of the above and the formula can still work. You can call it
Model slash Photographer slash Creative Director slash Clothing Designer
slash Actress slash, etc.

Is all of
the above needed to survive in this marketplace today? Perhaps. As
without diversity, you will have difficulty remaining competitive. But
you better be really good at all of it, otherwise…well you know.

If you don’t, don’t worry. Just set up a meeting with a very good Public Relations company and they will give you the run down.

How do I feel about all of this? Ok! As I too am guilty of being that multi faceted multi tentacled Octopus.

To see more from Benjamin Kanarak visit http://www.benjaminkanarekblog.com I like his take on the world of fashion and the changing relationship with photographers and other creatives.

1)Please tell us who you are and what you do for those not familiar with you?

Jason Harry, full time photographer

2)There are so many people doing what you do what makes you different?

My work has
its own style, look, feel. It is very personal to me, a lot of effort
goes into revealing something truthful about the person in front of me. I
work well under pressure. I like breaking barriers.

3)What word best describe you as a person?

Strong minded, creative, caring, passionate about what I do.

4)When not working what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am always
working, or thinking about what I should be doing next. I like contrast
in my life so maybe a concert is good one minute and watching motor
racing at Silverstone on another day.

5)Do you think your a true representation of a today's man?

Dunno, I just try to enjoy what I do and appreciate the people close to me, family, friends or in business.

6)What attracts you to someone?

ah ha, well a combination of strong personality, gentleness and beauty,

7)What are a few things women do that makes you mad?

No individual things i am easy really, cool people i like to be around the others, move on.

8)If we was a fly on your bedroom wall what would we be shock to see?

ha ha erm,

9)If you was to stay home on valentines night with your lover what would you cook and wear?

I would want to cook something they would really enjoy, wearing something casual, relaxing.

10)How can someone from the other side of the world learn more about you and view your work?

visit www.jasonharry.com or fly me to them, look at the videos youll get a vibe from my work quickly.

11)If you was given the chance to do a shoot with 3 people of your choice who would it be and why?

Kate Moss, she has a certain look and has been in the industry so long, wow

Lara Stone Stunning

Will.i.am think he has a certain energy that would amazing as a front page shot on my site.

12)What advice you have for anyone who wants to do what your now doing?

Pay professionals to teach you how to, with out learning it yourself in key areas

lighting, styling, post production

13)Who are your 3 best friends you would ride and die for?

My close friends are the few, and I am open about a lot but like to be quite private too, contrast.

14)What makes a good model in front of the camera?

Energy, confidence, its easy to say x model has it, but be playful, work the camera on a sub concious level, work towards key shots, models who are critical of their work when reviewing and know what they are there to produce, its easy to do so dont make it hard.

15)What do you think of men who teaches women to walk?

if you do it well teach, who cares, all hands to the deck.

16)Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I really dont know, i push to be the best fate will work with or against me getting to the top

17)What are a few things people say about you that is not true that you would love to address here?

I am very driven, a strong vision is good but also is ability to listen and take on board comments, thats how my work evolves. work review listen learn repeat.

18)Are you single/married/divorce?

Single, made a concious decision to stay while I was pushing so hard, no distractions, my work is important.I have a daughter who loves me and I want to give her the best opportunities in life.

19)What music would have you running to the dance floor to shake your booty?

I like dance so right now I dunno,

20)What do you love most when dancing with someone?

Energy,

21)How can someone be more photogenic?

Know
the angles that work for them, connect mentally with the photographer
and make amazing photographs, use colours in your outfit to compliment

22)If the fashion Police was to have dinner at your place what would you prepare?

Whatever you liked else a takeaway so we can talk if in a rush, I like to relax with friends

23)What is one thing you just can't leave home without?

Big Erm, typically my camera, i should take it everywhere but I feel like i never want to think oh god i got that thing with me, i like to be creative, i prefer to only have it with me when i am in the zone, i need that separation.

24)If you had the chance to change the world of fashion what would you change and why?

Attitudes, some people block you because of the status quo, protecting this that or the other

live once and enjoy, give people a break.

25)Any last words for our blog readers?

Be the best you can by dedicating yourself, eat live and breath it, don't be deterred or sidelined

go where you are appreciated, be happy, be critical of your work, plan your progress, keep a diary,